Hamilton council introduces plan to get rid of local ethics board

The plan to get rid of Hamilton’s local ethics board has taken another step forward when the it was introduced to the town council Wednesday night.

The ordinance will get rid of the local ethics board as well as other boards that are out-of date or not functioning and also revise the town’s ethics code. The introduction vote, likely a preview of the final approval, passed 4-1.

Council Vice President Dave Kenny said the new ethics code will be more detailed and closer to state statute and that it will strengthen the ethics of the township’s employees and officials.

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“This more detailed code of ethics will be more comprehensive and stricter,” he said. “The essence of the code of ethics has been you can’t serve your own interest over that of the public.”

Councilman Kevin Meara voted against the ordinance, saying he thought the local board would be better than the state’s Local Finance Board. He, the lone “no” vote, voiced early opposition to the plan, weeks before it hit the council.

“Earned or unearned, Hamilton Township has been labeled the poster child for ethical problems,” he said, referring to the scandal with the former mayor. “We have within our residency people who could serve within their capacity on the ethics board with ethics and integrity.”

Mayor Kelly Yaede proposed abolishing the board last month as part of a larger ethics reform plan that included an expanded gift policy and training for township employees. Getting rid of the local ethics board is the only portion of the plan that requires council approval.

Former Hamilton Mayor John Bencivengo was convicted of five federal charges in a corruption trial against him in November.

Former Councilman Vinnie Cappodano said he was concerned about the process, including not bringing in the chair of the ethics board to talk about why the board had not been functioning.

An issue with an ethics complaint filed with the state about a 2008 vote by Kenny for Director of Water and Pollution Control, Rich Watson, also resulted in a tense exchange between council members and resident and frequent council critic Tony Gambino.

Gambino took issue with the appointment of Watson and the contracts given to companies for work in the decades-old sewer facilities. Kenny said Watson is a salaried employee and the contracts at the department are publicly bid.

“Mr. Gambino, you seem to have a problem with logic,” he said. “You make these accusations when you do not know what you’re talking about …Your reasoning is bizarre, Mr. Gambino.”

Gambino responded, “I’m a bizarre person.”

Councilman Dennis Pone also shouted at one point in the exchange, which lasted several minutes.

“It is a perverse witch hunt from the two of you (Gambino and Cappodano). It was disclosed you waited five years to bring it up,” he said.